This project will assess the utility and generalizability of an objective oriented approach to management and planning for use by local multi-agency community mental health planning and delivery systems. This approach, called a decision support system, will provide a metodology for the collection, analysis, weighting and presentation of information which is relevant to the factors and constraints actually considered in local level decision-making. The specific objectives of the project are - to assess the utility of a prototype Decision Support System for local mental planning and service delivery agencies, to generalize the prototype in a manner consistent with findings of a national survey of mental health decision makers; to development instruments and documentation required for self- implementation of the system; to test the implementation process and utility of the methodology in selected contexts; and to disseminate the methodology nationally to local mental health system decision makers. The Decusuib Support System is designed to serve needs of all levels of local decision making-strategic, operational, and tactical. It aims at overcoming current barriers to utilization of information systems; namely, lack of decision-relevant information, inadequate involvement of decision makers in design and insufficient development of decision maker capacity to effectively utilize the information. Design and implementation of the prototype is currently underway in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. This experience, coupled with results of a survey of 200 mental health systems and an in-depth analysis of 8 will provided the basis for development of a generalized Decision Support System. The methodology will be implemented settings and its impact on decision making assessed. A dissemination conference will be conducted near the conclusion of the project, as the first step in a national dissemination study.